


Falling

by AetherAria



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: :3c, Carrying, Communication, Established Relationship, Fluff, Lizard Kissin' Tuesday (Penumbra Podcast), Multi, Second Citadel (Penumbra Podcast)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25263286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AetherAria/pseuds/AetherAria
Summary: Rilla's ankle is almost entirely healed. She probably won't need Arum to carry her around quite so much in the near future.
Relationships: Lord Arum/Rilla (Penumbra Podcast), Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla (Penumbra Podcast)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 104





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> i've been neck deep in too much angst lately please for the love of the saints let's just get fluffy for five seconds. also I'm POSITIVE i've talked about Arum post-BaWE being just... very _doting_ on his new, injured partners. I'm soft for a soft lizard. love u

Arum's attention shifts the instant that Amaryllis rises to stand.

She's slow to rise, uncharacteristically cautious of her ankle as she puts her hand on the bedroom wall, and as she steps towards the door she- wobbles, just slightly.

Arum is on his feet behind her in the time between one heartbeat and the next, hands steadying. "Amaryllis- you ridiculous little fool, let me-" he adjusts his grip, scooping an arm beneath her knees and another around her back and lifting her, pulling her close against his chest, safe and supported and, most importantly, off of her feet. "Your _ankle_ , you stubborn- what- what is that face? What is that _look_? What are you looking at me like that for?"

Amaryllis grins, her cheeks a little dark as she grips his shoulders for support. "I _knew_ it," she says warmly, and Arum's hackles rise.

"You knew _what_?" he snaps, ducking his head.

"Arum," she says, and then she moves one of her hands, slipping it up from his shoulder, brushing her fingers up his throat until she can cup his cheek, and Arum struggles not to let his eyes flutter closed automatically. "My ankle is basically healed, and we both know it. If you _wanted_ to pick me up-"

"Don't- _what_? Don't be _absurd_ , Amaryllis. You- I simply did not wish for you to _collapse_ , _takatakataka_."

Amaryllis snorts, and then she kicks her legs in the air, playful and distracting, and Arum pulls his eyes forcibly away from the skin that the motion reveals beneath her skirt.

"Yeah, okay. I was _fine_ , actually, I _barely_ shifted on my feet and-"

"You _wobbled_ ," Arum insists, and then he snaps his teeth together when he hears precisely how his words _sound_. He winces in anticipation, but Amaryllis does not laugh, this time. Her eyes soften, actually, and the hand on his cheek moves, her thumb brushing his cheek. "Amaryllis, I only-"

"It's really sweet," she murmurs. "And I bet you're _really_ grateful that you've got a good excuse."

"An _excuse_ -"

"I barely, _barely_ stepped wrong, Arum. I would have been fine, but you _wanted_ to pick me up, so…" she shrugs. "So you leapt at the chance. Literally."

Arum opens his mouth, snaps it shut, opens it again. "You- I- don't be _ridiculous_ -"

"You know that-" she pauses, bites her lip. "You know you don't _need_ an excuse, right?"

Arum looks away, and he knows his grip on her (still sturdy, still entirely, pointedly safe) has gone a little stiff.

"Arum…"

The hand on his cheek presses, very gently, until he looks towards her again, and then she leans up and presses her lips to the thin line of his mouth. Arum's breath rushes out, all four hands flexing at once before she pulls back with a smile.

"Amaryllis-"

"You know that I like when you touch me, don't you? I _want_ your hands on me. It's _fun_ to have you pick me up every once in a while. You know that, right?"

"You…" Arum swallows, and then he blinks in realization, and narrows his eyes. "Oh. You... you pretended to miss a step. On _purpose_. Didn't you?"

"I wanted to see if you'd-" she pauses, ducks her head, and then looks up at him through the fall of her hair with a smile that is both playful and sweet. "If you'd catch me."

His breath stutters, and he feels helpless as he ever is against the look in her eye, against her stubborn will.

"Don't- don't be foolish," he manages. "Of course I will catch you. I- I would-" he closes his eyes, then ducks his head to press his snout into her neck. He flicks his tongue against her pulse, warm and steady, his own heart fluttering when she laughs. "Whenever either of you are near- it's all I can do not to reach for you. Of _course_ I will catch you."

"See?" she says softly. " _Sweet_. I just … I want you to know that you don't need a _reason_. If you want to pick me up," she strokes a hand down the back of his neck, making him shiver, "just ask, okay?" His mouth pulls into a frown, and she shifts away enough that he pulls back in response, reluctantly meeting her eyes. "I don't really _need_ carrying anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't _want_ you to. You only have to ask. And-" she grins more sharply. "And I can all but guarantee that Damien probably wouldn't mind if you caught _him_ up in your arms, too, now and then."

"At times I think that I possess four arms _only_ for the purpose of catching the both of you," Arum says in a rush, and then his frill raises. "Utter nonsense, of course-"

"Hm," Rilla says, and her cheeks are flushed dark again despite her smirk. "It would make enough sense. You _did_ make the both of us fall for you at the same time, so-"

Arum pauses, and then he barks a sharp laugh. "That- _that_ ," he manages, "sounded precisely like the sort of _ridiculous_ thing that honeysuckle would say-"

"Yeah, well," she says, her cheeks even darker as she pulls his face close again. "You seem to really _like_ the ridiculous things that Damien says, and _you_ gave a pretty Damien line there yourself, so I figured I'd give it a try. How'd I do?"

Arum laughs again. "Absurd, and delightful. Is this yet another hat you plan to wear, then, Amaryllis?" he purrs, nuzzling her neck again as she snorts a laugh and shakes her head in denial. "Now. I snatched your feet out from under you- what were you on your way to do, before I interrupted your apparently intentional wobbling?"

Amaryllis opens her mouth, and no words escape as her expression goes decidedly _too_ innocent. "Ah-"

Arum blinks, and then he tilts his head. "You… you pulled yourself from the bed… for the _singular_ purpose of pointing out my desire to hold you. Is that right?"

Her innocence slips entirely into mischief, and she shifts closer in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder and pressing her lips to his neck.

"Maybe you just distracted me enough that I forgot why I got up in the first place."

"Doubtful," Arum grumbles, but his tone is too warm to be convincing. "Fine then. Shall I put you down, since you are apparently _perfectly_ capable of managing on your own?"

She looks up at him, hot as embers in his arms. "I think I'm good right where I am, actually."

"So I shall just… stand in the middle of the room, holding you. Is that your suggestion?" Arum drawls, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes spark, and she leans up, leans closer. "Well. When you put it that way… maybe you should just carry me right back to bed. Yeah?"

“I think… I think I quite like that plan, Amaryllis,” he breathes, and then he nuzzles closer for a kiss.


End file.
